Welcome to the website of the Numerical Cognition Laboratory. Our lab is housed within the Department of Psychology at The University of Western Ontario. The focus of our research is on gaining a better understanding of how children develop numerical and mathematical competencies, why some children fail to acquire basic calculation skills (Developmental Dyscalculia) as well as what brain circuits are associated with the processing of number and our ability to calculate. One of the central aims of our research is to better understand how basic numerical competencies, that we share with other species, become transformed through the processes of development and enculturation.
The Numerical Cognition Laboratory is directed by Dr. Daniel Ansari and consists of graduate students from the Graduate Programs in Psychology, Neuroscience and Education, postdoctoral fellows as well as undergraduate honors thesis students and research assistants. At Western, we are part of the Centre for Brain and Mind (http://www.uwo.ca/its/brain/) and collaborate with colleagues in the Faculty of Education and the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders. We also have many national and international collaborations.
Recent News:
- Stephan Vogel wins Award! - May 2, 2013
Stephan has won the Department of Psychology’s G. Keith Humphrey Memorial Award. The description of the award is as follows: “This award is for the graduate student in Psychology or Neuroscience who best exemplifies the philosophy and spirit of Professor Humphrey and his research. Keith was a brilliant young scholar who admired true intellectual curiosity and possessed a love of visual science. This Award is chosen annually by the Graduate Selection Committee in the
Department of Psychology.”Congratulations Stephan!
- Daniel Ansari on podcast! - May 2, 2013
Daniel Ansari participated in the ‘Neuroscientists Talk Shop’ podcast with faculty members of the University of Texas at San Antonio’s Neurobiology Program. You can listen to the conversation here:
http://snrp.utsa.edu/Podcast/Entries/2013/4/25_Daniel_Ansari_PhD.html - Study from the Numerical Cognition Laboratory reveals new link between basic math skills and PSAT math success - January 16, 2013
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/inside-school-research/2013/01/little_numbers_add_up_to_big_d.html
http://blog.brainfacts.org/2013/01/high-school-numbers-and-the-brain/#.UPWvsaXL5ho
http://www.educationnews.org/k-12-schools/student-testing-success-linked-to-grasp-of-basic-math/